Welcome to Bimmerfest -- The #1 Online Community for BMW related information! Please enjoy the discussion forums below and share your experiences with the 200,000 current, new and past BMW owners. The forums are broken out by car model and into other special interest sections such as BMW European Delivery and a special forum to voice your questions to the many BMW dealers on the site to assist our members!

I saw an x1 yesterday in some tips of orange color and it looked amazing!!!!! I love it. I would say the only BMWs I like the design of are the new 3 series, the x5s since they haven't changed too much yet, the x6 and the x1 they all in my opinion are the nicest looking BMWs on the road! I would think about buying an x1 for sure!
I'm do not like the look of the 5 series or 7 anymore they look too alike and just not my style but anyway that's my opinion! New x1 is so nice wants to see what all you x3ers thought of it?

I looked at one at the dealer's recently and I've seen a few on the road.

Stunning appearance when looking at it on the road.

But up close, it has less cargo capacity than my X3, especially lower in height at the tailgate. So I can't carry my bicycle as easily. And it doesn't have the ground clearance of my X3 to go offroad.

The salesman at the dealership said it's basically a new way of selling a station wagon. The 3 series station wagons apparently don't sell well, so the X1 appeals to people who would "never" buy a station wagon.

BTW I like the looks of the X6 too, that's a design. that provokes a lot of disagreement. But the X3 is much more practical for my needs.

Saw a black X1 the other day as well. Looked really nice, I didnt get a chance to take a walk around it though.

As for you not being able to put your bicycle in it?? Not sure how that's possible, I fit a bicycle in my 3 series coupe in the back seat! Just need to take off the front wheel. Or buy a roof rack and your set.

As I mentioned in my brief write up about the X1, it's a great car but utterly pointless. It has not much more space if any than a sport wagon, yet a higher centre of gravity, and is surprisingly poor value if you want any meaningful items no thanks to the absurd options pricing structure BMW NA imposed on us. If I can't easily fit my bike in the boot, then what's the point of an SUV over any ordinary vehicle with split folding seats or a bike rack?

My wife and I test drove an X1 a couple of weeks ago. We both liked the look of it very much. That being said, it is definitely smaller and has less cargo space than our 2008 X3, and neither one of us was very impressed with the interior - we thought it seemed not up to the standard we would expect for a car costing what the X1s cost. After returning to our X3, the X3 felt more solid and comfortable than the X1. I will say the X1 drove very nicely, handled well, and had plenty of power equipped with the 4 cylinder engine. It would definitely put a smile on your face with the twin turbo 6. If you are even considering the X1, test drive it, then get back into your X3. I think that more than any one thing convinced us we are not yet ready to trade down to the X1.

As for you not being able to put your bicycle in it?? Not sure how that's possible, I fit a bicycle in my 3 series coupe in the back seat! Just need to take off the front wheel. Or buy a roof rack and your set.

I chose not to get a sedan or coupe to get my bike in easily. Of course I take off the front wheel, but no contortions to get it in and no damage to the seats. I don't use a roof rack because I know someday I would scrape the bike off in a parking garage. I do use the interior bike rack which is a great X3 accessory -- and there's no similar room for standing the bike upright in the X1.

To me the X1 looks like a sort of expanded old 318ti hatch. Around the same size but more "cute ute" than the E83.

Exactly, it's a tall hatchback, but then it begs the question.......why not just get a hatchback in the first place and save some money? There are a few good ones out there, VW Golf TDI, Audi A3, Ford Focus, Mazda3, and they can all have many of the luxury features of the X1 at a lower price, without any penalty in cargo capacity and flexibility.

Actually going to test a Ford Focus ST tomorrow if I can, since the MkVII Golf isn't going to hit shores for another year or so.

The X1 got our attention but did not win us over after the test drive. X3 is a much better value and design. If you are looking at the X1 try the X3 too and you will see the true differences. If you really have your heart set on the X1's footprint, I think the 3 series wagons are a closer comparison and much better looking.

AzN if you actually get to drive the Focus ST it would be interesting to read your comments on how it compares to your 2.5. Ford is turning out some interesting iron these days, very euro in some ways. Of course they have a robust overseas presence and back in the day their Cortina GT went head to head with the 2002.

AzN if you actually get to drive the Focus ST it would be interesting to read your comments on how it compares to your 2.5. Ford is turning out some interesting iron these days, very euro in some ways. Of course they have a robust overseas presence and back in the day their Cortina GT went head to head with the 2002.

It's gonna be awhile, unfortunately. Was planning to head to Asheville but simply put, too much "drink" was consumed last night and I wasn't up to a bike ride today. I stopped by a local Ford dealer here in the Upstate but no surprise, they weren't comfortable doing test drives "unless you're buying today". He begrudgingly considered a "short drive around the block" but I realised that would be a waste of our time. I can't think of a single good Upstate car dealer (Century BMW needs to be wiped out of existence) which is why I usually test drive my cars in Asheville because there are good roads and intelligent human beings. I'd called the Ford dealer in Asheville and they said they'd be willing to pull their ST out of the showroom for me to drive but like I said, didn't make it up there today. I did take a look inside and the seats are awesome! Fit me perfectly, and the shifter feels nice and tight, better than the standard 5MT on the standard models.

It irritates me how Americans buy cars off the lot and as a result, dealers can be unwilling to put miles on inventory. In Europe, dealers tend to have a few cars specified for demos, less inventory, and customers order their cars. That way no one is worried about how many miles are on the clock when buying a new car.

I agree that the X1 externally is appealing, but internally not much. And the salesperson is right. They are for people that refuse to buy a station wagon. My wife says I am to take her out back and put two in her head if she ever comes home with a van or station wagon and she has lost her mind and is of no use to the family. She thought the X1 looked nice.

I do like the X1 but pound for pound I would spend the xtra bucks and get the X3 if I had to choose.

Well, when you finally get to flog one around the twisties somewhere it will be interesting to know how it compares. American car dealers do what they want, and have been for years and years, it is what we are used to and if that method of car buying works for us than that's what it is. BTW I have never had a problem with getting a test drive -- however the ST is very thin on the ground right now and I suspect that one may have been already spoken for. I would NOT WANT a car that I had purchased/put a deposit on used for a demo. This will get me flamed but I think Ford is doing themselves a disservice by not offering the Focus ST with an automatic. They have limited their market by over 90% IMHO.

I agree with all your points on the x1. I was just saying it looks very nice. Of they could somehow put that body on the new x3 I'd be in business! But until then ill stick with my x3 now which I love and when I can afford to buy a new one i might shoot for an x5! Many many years down the line. But in all the x1 is just a wagon without being a wagon lol

*sigh* Frankly, the lack of a manual plus the cost, makes the X1 a big lose lose in a BMW to me.

The value for $$ is crap here as well, but the MINI Countryman might be the only place for me to get what I want; manual, AWD, good gas mileage and fun to drive. The 4 door Golf R might bear a look as well.

As I mentioned in my brief write up about the X1, it's a great car but utterly pointless. It has not much more space if any than a sport wagon, yet a higher centre of gravity, and is surprisingly poor value if you want any meaningful items no thanks to the absurd options pricing structure BMW NA imposed on us. If I can't easily fit my bike in the boot, then what's the point of an SUV over any ordinary vehicle with split folding seats or a bike rack?

I'm a single guy, living in a city, who likes to go backpacking on weekends. To get to the great trailheads in the Sierras or the Cascades you need a little (but honestly not a lot) of ground clearance.
The X1 is perfect for me, except that it's automatic only. My 2006 X3 is a manual transmission, and I won't give it up.

Actually the A3 and X1 are similarly priced. I liked the X1 better, IMO

huh?!

A3 starts at 26k, get the Premium package with AWD and you're barely cracking 30.8k
X1 starts at (supposedly) 30k and all I do is step up to the 28i and X line, (not even the sport or M line) and I'm at 35k already before I've started.

Not to say the two are comparable but, I wouldn't put one in the same league as the other.

The A3 still boggles my mind though, to have a manual option but front wheel drive only, yet you can get an A4 quattro with a manual...

I sure hope you'd like the X1 better because if the current A3 is anything like the one I drove, it is definitely a cut rate Audi that's a huge step down from anything I've seen from BMW. I'd probably put the A3 more in line with what you get for your $$ in a MINI.

Shrug. When I configured the Audi on their website with what I wanted in my X1, the pricing was only about 4k off. I don't think that is a huge difference when you're looking at a 35-40k car. It certainly wouldn't make me go one way or the other if all other things were held equal.

Well, when you finally get to flog one around the twisties somewhere it will be interesting to know how it compares. American car dealers do what they want, and have been for years and years, it is what we are used to and if that method of car buying works for us than that's what it is. BTW I have never had a problem with getting a test drive -- however the ST is very thin on the ground right now and I suspect that one may have been already spoken for. I would NOT WANT a car that I had purchased/put a deposit on used for a demo. This will get me flamed but I think Ford is doing themselves a disservice by not offering the Focus ST with an automatic. They have limited their market by over 90% IMHO.